Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu puts Maldivian flavours at heart of ‘Roots & Tides’ festive programme
Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu will place Maldivian food traditions, beachfront dining and family culinary activities at the centre of its festive programme, running from 22 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
Presented under the theme “Roots & Tides: Celebrating Maldivian Heritage”, the programme draws on the island traditions, local flavours and relationship with the ocean that have shaped Maldivian life across generations.
For chefs and food and beverage professionals, one of the principal highlights will be the Keyolhu Beach BBQ, which will bring homegrown flavours into a relaxed dining experience by the sea.
The event sits alongside cultural activities including Bodu Mas, Lava Baazi and Saifodhu, giving the culinary programme a wider connection with Maldivian heritage rather than presenting local food in isolation.
Beach barbecue service also places particular demands on resort kitchen teams. Meat, seafood and other ingredients need to be prepared and transported safely, while chefs must manage live cooking, temperature and replenishment in an outdoor environment.
At Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, the format provides an opportunity to combine those operational skills with dishes and flavours rooted in the destination.
Gala dining for Christmas and New Year
Christmas Eve will feature a gala dinner accompanied by live music, while New Year’s Eve will begin with sunset aperitifs before another gala dinner and the countdown to 2027.
These large festive services are among the busiest periods of the year for resort culinary teams, requiring coordination across hot kitchen, cold kitchen, pastry, bakery, stewarding and front-of-house departments.
For chefs, production needs to be carefully divided between advance preparation and dishes that must be cooked or finished close to service. Buffet replenishment, where applicable, also becomes important to ensure food maintains its temperature, texture and appearance throughout the evening.
Sunset aperitifs on New Year’s Eve will bring the beverage team into the programme, with bartenders responsible for setting the tone before guests move into the main gala.
The festive dining calendar will continue into January with the Island Festive Feast on 6 January, followed by an evening of bonfire, music and performances.
Culinary activities for younger guests
Pastry and culinary teams will also contribute to the resort’s children’s programme through cookie decorating and pizza making at the Coco Little Islanders’ Corner.
Both activities provide younger guests with a direct introduction to food preparation.
Cookie decorating gives pastry teams an opportunity to work with icing, colour and presentation in an accessible format, while pizza making introduces basic dough handling and assembly.
For chefs conducting these sessions, the challenge is to simplify professional techniques while maintaining good kitchen practice and ensuring the activity remains engaging for children.
Pizza dough in particular requires preparation well before the class begins, with fermentation and portioning managed so the dough is ready to shape when participants arrive.
Picnics and shared dining
Families and friends will also be able to travel to Embudhoo, an uninhabited island, for private picnics.
Destination picnics are another form of resort dining that relies heavily on preparation behind the scenes.
Menus need to travel well, remain within safe temperature ranges and be practical to serve away from a permanent kitchen. Packaging, presentation and timing therefore become as important as the dishes themselves.
Elsewhere during the programme, leisurely brunches and shared meals will provide more informal opportunities for guests to spend time together through food.
This variety gives Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu’s culinary team several different service formats to work across during the festive period, from large gala dinners and outdoor barbecues to children’s activities and private island picnics.
Food as part of Maldivian storytelling
The wider “Roots & Tides” programme is built around Maldivian heritage and the resort’s relationship with its surrounding marine environment in Baa Atoll.
For culinary teams, that creates an opportunity to make food part of the cultural story of the festive season.
Maldivian cuisine has developed around the resources and traditions of island life, particularly the relationship between fishing, coconut and locally used spices and aromatics. Presenting those influences alongside performances, crafts and cultural activities can help guests understand food as part of a broader heritage rather than simply another resort dining option.
At Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, the festive programme will therefore move between celebratory gala dining and experiences more directly connected with Maldivian culture.
From the Keyolhu Beach BBQ and Island Festive Feast to cookie decorating, pizza making and private picnics, chefs and F&B teams will play a central role in translating the “Roots & Tides” theme into the guest experience.
